Natural resources of Bangladesh

Natural resources of Bangladesh

(Indications: Introduction, What are natural resources, Mineral resources, Fisheries, Animal resources, Forest resources, Land resources, Water resources, Solar energy, Conclusion.)

Bangladesh gained independence through the war of liberation in 1971. It is one of the developing countries of the third world. The amount of natural resources is very small compared to the population of this country. Again, it is not possible to ensure the extraction and proper use of natural resources due to lack of necessary initiatives, capital and technology. Since natural resources play an important role in the development of a country, the economic development of a country can be ensured through the efficient use of natural resources by utilizing our labor capital and technology.

What is a natural resource: Generally, natural resource means all the resources given by nature.Natural resources include geographical location, climate, rainfall, soil, rivers, agricultural resources, mineral resources, fisheries resources, forest resources, animal resources and solar energy. These resources cannot create people. But people can extract and use. Natural resources and human resources complement the development of the country. The major natural resources of Bangladesh are discussed below:

Mineral resources: Mineral resources are one of the natural resources of Bangladesh. Notable minerals are natural gas, coal, mineral oil, limestone, porcelain, hard rock, silica sand, copper, uranium, sulfur and salt. Some of the notable ones discussed are:

Natural Gas: Natural gas is the main mineral resource of Bangladesh. The first gas field at Haripur in Sylhet was discovered in 1955. Gas extraction started from this gas field in 1956. Natural gas meets about 6 percent of the country's energy needs. The total number of gas fields discovered in the country is 25. Notable among them are Haripur of Sylhet, Chhatak of Sumaganj, Titas of Brahmanbaria, Bakhrabad of Comilla, Kutubdia of Chittagong etc. In 1986, the country was divided into 23 blocks for exploration and rapid expansion of gas resources. Gas production in the 2011-2012 financial year was 743.58 billion cubic feet and in the 2012-2013 financial year it was 332.06 billion cubic feet. At present, gas is being produced from 63 wells in 19 gas fields.

Coal: The coal resources of Bangladesh are not very developed. The coal available in our country is of very low quality. Plenty of peat national coal has been found in Basia of Faridpur and Chandabil and Kulabil of Khulna. High quality coal called bituminous and lignite has also been found in Rajshahi, Naogaon and Sylhet. In 1986, a huge coal mine was discovered in Bara Pukuria area of ​​Dinajpur district. The total coal reserves discovered so far in the five coal fields are about 3300 million tons, which is equivalent to about 48 trillion cubic feet of gas. The total extracted coal till February 2012 of 2010-2011 fiscal year was 3.99 million metric tons.

Mineral oil: Many experts think that a lot of mineral oil can be found in Bangladesh. The search for this has been going on for a long time. In 1986, some mineral oil was unexpectedly discovered from the 7th well of the Sylhet Haripur natural gas field. The well has a reserve of 10 million barrels of oil at a depth of 200 to 2030 meters. However, the amount of extractable reserves is about 6 million barrels. Mineral oil has also been found in Fenchuganj-3 and Kailashtila-2 wells. But due to technical complications it is not possible to lift.

Limestone: Limestone has been found at Jaflong, Zakiganj in Sylhet district, Vaarghat in Sunamganj, Taker Ghat, Lalghat, Baglibazar, Sitaku in Chittagong district and St. Martin's Island in Cox's Bazar district. Besides, about 16 lakh tons of limestone is extracted annually from Joypurhat Limestone Project.

Chinese clay: Quarry lease is given by the Bureau of Mineral Resources Development for the extraction of porcelain or plain raw material for the ceramic industry of the country. At present there are such leases in favor of 13 companies in Mymensingh and Netrokona.

Hard rock: Hard rock has been found in Ranipukur and Shampur of Rangpur district and Madhyapara of Dinajpur district. The annual demand for solid rock in the country is about 60-70 lakh metric tons. The total amount of solid rock produced till 2012 is only 16.11 lakh metric tons.

Silica sand: Silica sand has been found in Nayapara, Chhatiani, Shahji Bazar and Kulaura of Sylhet, Dohazari of Chittagong, Balijhuri of Jamalpur etc. Bangladesh produces about 160,000 square feet of silica sand annually.

Uranium and Sulfur: Uranium has been found in the Kulaura hills of Moulvibazar. The only sulfur mine in Bangladesh is located at Kutubdia in Chittagong.

Fisheries Resources: Fisheries are a significant natural resource in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is called a riverine country. There are innumerable rivers, canals, beels and haors in this country. And all these reservoirs have a lot of fish. In addition, a lot of fish are found in the salt water of the marine region of Bangladesh. At present shrimp farming is being done in a planned way in Bangladesh. The prospects for shrimp are expected to be much brighter in the future. Hilsa, Rui, Katla, Magur, Boal, Carrot, Shoal, Putti, Shing, Shrimp, Pabda, Tengra etc. are the fishery resources of Bangladesh. The coastal region of this country is famous for fish like Vhetki, Rupchanda, Laksha, Churi, Coral, Lobster etc. Fisheries play an important role in earning foreign exchange. Quality frozen shrimp and fish products are being exported from Bangladesh to the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries.

Animal resources: Animal resources are one of the natural resources of Bangladesh. Animal resources can be divided into two parts. Namely- (1) Wild animals and (2) Domestic animals. Wild animals include elephants, tigers, deer, leopards, wild cats, foxes, monkeys, reptiles and a variety of birds. Among the domesticated animals, cows, goats, sheep, horses, ducks, chickens, etc. are notable. Meat, milk, eggs, skin, etc. are notable among the animal products found by keeping these animals.

Forest resources: The lands which are generally covered with innumerable trees such as small, medium and large are called forest lands. Again, the resources obtained from the forest are called forest resources. A country needs 25% forest cover to maintain its ecological balance. According to the 2013 Economic Survey, the total forest cover of our country is 16.06%. Bangladesh's forest resources play an important role in maintaining the country's ecological balance as well as the country's economy. The forest resources of Bangladesh can be divided into 3 parts based on the characteristics of climate, soil and vegetation.

1. Tropical evergreen forest.

2. Tropical deciduous tree forest.

3. Current forest or Sundarbans.

Water Resources: There are many rivers, canals, beels, haors, ponds, ditches and reservoirs in this country. The major rivers of the country are Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Dhaleshwari, Karnafuli and Madhumati. All these rivers or streams make the land of Bangladesh fertile. The Kaptai Hydropower Station was established in 1982 on the Karnafuli River. It started operations in 1985. The generating capacity of Kaptai Hydropower Station is 230 MW. In addition, the amount of land under irrigation in 2011-12 was 65.15 lakh hectares.

Solar energy: The sun is the main source of heat and energy in the atmosphere. The sun is constantly emitting a lot of emissions. But very few come into the world. 99.98 percent of the total energy in the atmosphere comes from the sun. The energy from the sun is stored in the atmosphere as thermal energy or kinetic energy. Solar energy is the energy that the earth receives in the form of small waves through radiation from the sun. The first solar power project in Bangladesh was launched at Karimpur and Nazarpur in Narsingdi district. The largest solar power plant in Bangladesh is located at Sandwip in Chittagong.

Conclusion: Natural resources can be said to be the key to a country's development and national prosperity. Bangladesh is a small country. The amount of natural resources in this country is not less than the need. But our natural resources are not being used properly. Therefore, in order to improve the country, it is necessary to ensure the use of natural resources from now on. The government also needs to be more proactive in this regard .